What is it about?
The decline and retrenchment of the United States is increasing the importance of regional dynamics across the international system . In a newly published special section in International Affairs, we unpack how, why, and when states use soft balancing in the regions. In our introductory framework article, T.V. Paul, Kai He and I: Unpack the concept of soft balancing and critically discuss the scholarly debate on the concept, including how the concept has been developed and expanded, and the challenges to adequately defining and applying it. Explain why soft balancing is important for understanding regional cooperation and conflict in the world today. Outline the importance of international institutions and diplomatic practices for soft balancing in the regions.
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Why is it important?
Regions are becoming more important for international order and security. We provide a useful framework for understanding diplomatic and institutional balancing in regions and how they relate to global politics.
Perspectives
Both as a human being and as an academic, I find it important to understand the dynamics of the world's different regions, both their similarities and their differences.
Dr. Anders Wivel
University of Copenhagen
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Soft balancing in the regions: causes, characteristics and consequences, International Affairs, January 2025, Oxford University Press (OUP),
DOI: 10.1093/ia/iiae286.
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